What's Going on in the Jewelry District?

Here are links to concepts, renderings and developer's presentations for new and ongoing projects in and around the Jewelry District. With the great swath of I-195 opened through the District and across the river, our landscape will be changing for years to come.

UPDATE: Sept. 14, 2017. A Look at What the Future May Be for the District

On September 14, the Providence Journal offered a sweeping view of our future. Kate Bramson tells you about what Johnson & Johnson is up to at 1 Ship Street... who's planning to do what next door in the former print shop... the concept behind The Shack now coming into being in front of 1 Ship St. Kate Bramson's article can be found HERE.

CV Wexford / Parcels 22 and 25: Work Is Underway.

﻿More than 1,000,000 square feet of new buildings, constructed in three phases along Dyer Street. Phase One of this major project would include an 11,985 square-foot District Hall / Venture Café, a Lab / Office / Academic complex of 182,768 square feet and a Hotel / Residential building of 289,300 square feet.

UPDATE: Phase 1 Design Passes Zoning and Design Review and is OK'd to move ahead by 195 Commission. See News for May 17, 2017. ﻿﻿CLICK!﻿﻿

After an on again, off again, on again, no it's not, yes it is battle with a ball park thrown in for excitement a year or so ago, the pedestrian bridge is on its way to reality. Contracts have been awarded, fences are up around the construction site on both sides of the river and work has begun. It wasn't easy, folks, but it's happening.

Work in Progress on Residences in Davol Square Parking Lot

There's not much to look at, but the construction fencing indicates that work is about to begin here in the Davol Square Parking lot. Two residential apartment buildings will go up adjacent to the South Street Landing complex. Watch this space for further activity.

Coming Soon, If Only Temporarily: The Shack

We've already reported on the beginnings of The Shack (see earlier article ﻿HERE﻿).

And as Labor Day rolled past, things began stirring for real on the site at 1 Ship Street. Moderately heavy equipment arrived and took off the layer of topsoil. The kitchen building on wheels was brought across Dyer from its parking place and it's roughly in place on-site. Since the 12th, they've been laying pavers in place on the outdoor dining area. The design incorporates discarded granite curbing that has marked the boundaries of 195 parcels since the highway came down.

Plans are still forming for the activities and operations of The Shack, but it's clearly heading our way.

THIS JUST IN: From the Providence Journal, 14 September 2017, an update on The Shack including word on some of the people involved and more. Read Kate Bramson's article HERE.

In connection with the South Street Landing project, National Grid will be moving itstransformer station out of a 1919 building off Dyer St. and building a major newfacility on an adjacent property. National Grid presented this proposal recently to the Providence Downtown Design Review Committee. It was approved and will now go to Zoning.

Garrahy Courthouse Parking Garage

Long-awaited/longed for, increased parking at the Garrahy Judicial Complex moved a step nearer to realization at the April 10, 2017, meeting of the Providence Downtown Design Review Committee. While a number of design and zoning issues were raised, the project continues to move ahead. The seven-story 1,250-space garage will be a massive structure. But for courthouse visitors and staff it will be a welcome relief from the current situation. And it will offer spaces for people working in and visiting the Wexford Innovation campus (see above) and residents in the new Chestnut Commons apartment complex being developed on Friendship Street. It will also offer a real benefit to District pedestrians who are frequently thwarted by out-of-town police cars whose drivers seem to consider the sidewalk on Clifford Street a legitimate place to park.

UPDATE: At the Providence Design Review Committee monthly meeting, 8 May 2017, an evolved version of the project was conceptually approved. In the new version, the random screening of the parking area has been consolidated and made more regular. The designers also noted that the required 1% of building cost could be applied to graphics printed on the screens along with interior dynamic lighting.

The Design Review Committee voted to refer the new proposal to the Zoning Board with the caveat that landscaping should be added to enrich the pedestrian experience at ground level on the Clifford & Friendship St. sides. An hour's discussion of possible ways to add retail on the Clifford St. side ensued. Incorporating retail presents considerable structural and capacity and cost obstacles. Several members of the JDA urged further study in the interests of promoting mixed use in new construction in the District. As it goes to the Zoning Board, the design provides retail on Richmond St., an "A" street. Clifford St., also an "A" street, has no retail provision for retail, and relief from the requirement is sought. The Committee voted to recommend that the Zoning Board deny the request for relief.﻿﻿﻿

The Revised Design, showing the corner of Friendship and Richmond, with courthouse at left. Visi3n Architects. 8 May 17

The original design proposal

theHope Point Towers Parcel 42

UPDATE: February 5, 2018Yes, it's back — with preliminary approval for the purchase of the land.At theregular monthly meeting of the 195 Commission, a vote was taken to allow the Fane Organizxation to move forward on their planned 46-story apartment tower.Signifcantly, Fane was quoted by the Providence Journal as saying that the renderings of the proposed project we have been seeing are no longer valid. He said he is "tentatively leaning toward a design that calls for a 'white tower with sculptured curves.' ”

A number of issues remain to be addressed as the project moves along its way. They include major variance approval from the city concerning the height permitted under the current zoning code. It's uncertain just how tall a 46-story tower sitting atop a multi-story parking facility will be. Current height limit, without development bonuses, is just 130 feet.

Also, according to the ProJo, Fane retains an option to purchase the remainder of the parcel with, apparently, some possibility of building a second tower overlooking our park. Stay tuned.

In the meanwhile, for the details reported by the Providence Journal on the January 31st meeting,click HERE.

UPDATEJuly 21, 2017For details on what to expect at the I-195 Commission meeting, Tuesday, the 21st, see Kate Bramson's article in the Projo, HERE. Meeting starts at 5:00 PM, Commerce Corporation offices, 315 Iron Horse Way, Providence. Public comment will be welcome. To dig deeper into the facts and figuresbehind the proposal, see the I-195 Commission report, HERE.

UPDATEMarch 7, 2017Yesterday's Providence Journal, under the headline, "Trio of Towers proposed in Providence never stood a chance", detailed the backstory on the development and where it stands — or doesn't — as of right now. You can read the whole story by clicking HERE﻿.﻿

And here's where we began the story way back in 2016.

The Fane Organization has proposed a large residential complex for on-acre Parcel 42. Originally envisioned as three towers of 33, 43 and 55 stories, a revised proposal recently was made: build in phases, the first phase being a single 43-srtory tower on a 5-story base that could support a second tower. As noted in our article ﻿(see News)﻿it is early days for Hope Point Towers.

Meaning no disrespect for the developers who have come up with the appealing name for their apartment complex, a search is being made for the point in question. So far, Google has been help; no map found has shown an obvious "point" at that section along the Providence River, which, over the centuries, has been much altered.

What is Brown's vision for its presence in the District? An exciting, expansive investment in advanced science and technology. A long-range plan with many interconnecting parts.

For details, watch the university leadership describe what is, in essence, a glimpse of the future of the Jewelry District, HERE.

South Street LandingNOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS

﻿An overview of the project that will transform an abandoned power plant and its grounds into administrative offices for Brown University and the new Nursing Education Center (NEC) for Rhode Island College and the University of Rhode Island, along with graduate student housing and a parking garage. Construction has begun, tentative completion: Fall 2017

• Read Brown's moving day report and learn how South Street Landing fits into the University's future, HERE.

Parking Garage at South Street Landing

NOW Open for Business.

When construction begins in the Davol Square parking lot for two new residence buildings, the cars will drive around the corner to a brand new parking garage nearing first-phase completion on Dyer Street. The glass is going up on the stair towers, historic photographs decorate the Dyer St. ground floor, a patch of grass has been sodded, the lights are on, signage is up, and, our sources tell us, the first three floors are nearly ready for occupancy.

Russell & Irons Building Conversion to ApartmentsNOW Open for Business.

Continuing the evolution of the District from its original residential neighborhood through jewelry making to offices, Waldorf Capital Management, is moving forward to convert 95 Chestnut Street for 59 rental apartments. Plans include space for a ground-floor restaurant. The late 19th Century Russell and Irons building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. They're on track for a Spring 2017 opening.

UPDATE: 8 May 2017 A certificate of occupancy has been issued by the City for the upper three floors and close observers have noted cars parked over night in the 195 lot and people NOT wearing hard hats entering the main entrance on Clifford St. Welcome to the Jewelry District!

UPDATE: 15 September 2017 Every day more and more apartment lights appear at night. Parking area's full. UPS makes regular deliveries. Looks as if they're in business seriously.

Chestnut Commons, Parcel 30

Having already begun work on the apartment conversion at 95 Chestnut, Waldorf Capital Management, have begun phase two next door: Chestnut Commons.

Chestnut Commons will put a major complex of rental apartments on Parcel 30, adjacent to 95 Chestnut and running west up Friendship St. to Claverick St. The project has passed muster with the Design Review Committee and will be presented for the next approval level at the 195 District Redevelopment Commission on Monday, December 12, 2016.

• You can see the concept developed by Northeast Collaborative Architects for Waldorf Capital Management right HERE.

UPDATE: The concept was approved with modifcations by the DDRC and the I-195 Commission in December.

UPDATE June 9, 2017: Waldorf Capital Management will present further revisions to the design for approval on Monday June 12, 2017 at 4:45 at the DDRC, 444 Westminster St. For a look at the preliminary schematic drawings, click HERE.

UPDATE June 13, 2017: With requests that the Clifford-facing facade be compatible with the Friendship side so the building will look "unified", and that samples of cladding be shown in advance, the DDRC approved the revised proposal. As soon as more "final" designs are available, they will be posted here. For example: the rendering at right below does not show a revision in which the portion in dark cladding rises to full height, not notched on the left side as it appears here.

UPDATE: 17 April 2017. Providence Journal reports on the project as the steelwork reaches full height. Read the story ﻿HERE﻿.

A small, two story bar/restaurant building will be replaced by a multi-story apartment building with retail/restaurant space on the ground floor. Well along in the permitting process, the developers have secured a demolition permit for the existing structure.

Proposed Hotel for Riverfront in District's Eastward View

Currently under review and discussion at the I-195 Commission, the Riverview Hotel and Gallery is proposed where the helicopter landing "used to be" on the east side of the Providence River. The northernmost I-195 parcel on that side of the river, it is a small, narrow and isolated site, just 48 feet wide from sidewalk to river-edge boardwalk. Because of its prominent position as the only structure on that side of South Water Street between the Crawford and Point Street bridges, the proposal is being given close scrutiny. One commentator calls it the best design offered for any 195 parcel; another strongly urges that the parcel remain open parkland. This should be interesting.

You can see the initial proposalHERE. (For reasons not fully understood downloading may take a minute or so. Please be patient.)

Johnson & Wales University Engineering and Science Center NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS

JWU broke ground in May 2015 for their new building at the corner of Friendship and Chestnut Streets. Work moved ahead and the building was ready to welcome the incoming students for the Fall 2017 semester.

To quote from the real estate listing: Churchill & Banks is pleased to present One Imperial Place. One Imperial Place is a to be developed' site located adjacent to the Coro Center Office Building that houses Lifespan Hospital. The site is located in the Jewelry District with commanding views from highways 95 and 195. This gives a new building' s design added incentive to be a significant participant in the cityscape of Providence. With the recent relocation of Route 195, there is new additional opportunity around the site that will result in new development. Plans are in place for several opportunities at this site which include office, residential, and retail uses.